1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print system in which a client terminal, a server, and a printer are connected via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a print system including a client terminal, a server, and a printer is utilized at a workplace such as an office where a plurality of people perform paperwork.
A method called pull printing may be adopted in the print system of this type. In the pull printing method, when a user prints print data such as a document on paper, he/she operates a client terminal, and transmits the print data from the client terminal to a server. The server stores therein the received print data. Next, the user operates a printer so as to print the print data stored in the server. The server transmits the print data to the printer in response to a request from the printer. The printer receives the print data and prints this data.
Since a large number of users share the above print system, it is necessary to ensure the security with regard to information leaks and the like. In view of this, a method of adding user identification information (for example, a password) to print data is adopted. In this method, it is possible to perform an authentication determination of whether a user has print authority by having the user input identification information when print data is printed.
In the above print system, since printing is restricted based on identification information, printing is not permitted to other users who do not have print authority, which has caused a problem that convenience is impaired. Specifically, for example, a boss who has registered print data cannot ask his/her subordinate to print that data.
In view of this, as a method for solving such a problem, an information processing system is also utilized in which print authority information of a document is transmitted from a mobile terminal to another mobile terminal so as to delegate print authority held by the mobile terminal serving as a transmission source to the mobile terminal serving as a transmission destination (for example, see JP 2009-53953A). The delegation of print authority enables the user of the mobile terminal serving as a transmission destination to print the print data that the user of the mobile terminal serving as a transmission source has registered.
However, the above information processing system has a problem that since print authority is delegated to one mobile terminal, the document is not printed unless the mobile terminal serving as a transmission destination is in the state where printing can be performed. Further, the above information processing system also has a problem that a document cannot be distributed to a plurality of users.